Cocaine Overdose Deaths Are On The Rise

 

Though opioids are taking center stage in the world of addiction headlines, it is worth noting that several other drugs are wreaking havoc on this country as well. Cocaine, in particular, is responsible for a sharp uptick in U.S. overdose deaths. In fact, according to newly released statistics, the number of cocaine-related fatalities has shot up by more that 50 percent within the last three years.

 

These new figures come from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which tracked coke overdoses, as well as those caused by other pyschostimulants. What makes these findings even more troubling is the fact that cocaine use hasn’t necessarily increased dramatically (though it is still a common practice). The truth of the matter is that street coke has simply become more deadly, thanks to the presence of synthetic opioids; which are commonly mixed into batches.

 

The CDC reps emphasized this point after releasing the study. “Death rates involving cocaine and psychostimulants, with and without opioids, have increased,” they explained. “Synthetic opioids appear to be the primary driver of cocaine-involved death rate increases, and recent data point to increasing synthetic opioid involvement in psychostimulant-involved deaths.”

 

The sad fact is: when drugs like this are purchased on the streets, users have no real idea about the harmful chemicals that are often mixed in. Not only are the synthetic opioids extremely dangerous and more likely to cause an overdose, they are also highly addictive; encouraging buyers to come back and purchase larger quantities.

 

The CDC authors concluded their research with a call to action, encouraging local officials to bring more attention to this issue. Much of the public is unaware of just how dangerous cocaine is, compared to its potency several decades ago. Not only that; according to a recent expose by NBC News, coke can be considered “chic” among millennials and young people.

 

Daniel Raymond, deputy director of The Harm Reduction Coalition, was interviewed for the NBC article. He emphasized the fact that coke continues to have a certain allure and is often thought of as a “party drug.”

 

“Certain drugs seem to go in and out of style,” Raymond told the site. “Right now we’re seeing an uptick in cocaine use, and we’re hitting that point in the cycle where we’re starting to see more fatal overdoses.”

 

If you, or anyone you are close to, is struggling with a cocaine addiction, please reach out and get help before it’s too late.

 

Lawmakers Aim To Punish Addicted Moms-To-Be

 

For the record, we completely understand what a difficult topic “pregnancy and addiction” can be. On the one hand, it seems unfathomable that an expectant mother would put her unborn baby at risk by using. But it is also important to comprehend just how powerful some of these dependencies can be (particularly when you consider America’s opioid crisis) and the sincere struggles these moms are facing. Whatever side you’re on, it is worth noting that a new law may be put it in place to punish women in these types of situations.

 

Tennessee Representatives Lynn Weaver and Janice Bowling recently introduced House Bill 1168, which tacks on an assault charge to any woman who uses an illegal narcotic while pregnant. Particularly harsh sentences could be incurred if the child is born harmed or drug dependent. In fact, the term “addicted babies” appears frequently throughout the bill.

 

Not surprisingly, the opioid epidemic was brought up frequently by Weaver and Bowling. Both women point to the fact that drug dependent infants are on the rise. The hope would be that this law could work as a deterrent, encouraging these women to get into treatment before any type of pregnancy occurs. To its credit, the law also states that if an addicted expectant mother enters and completes a treatment program, her charges may be lessened.

 

“This bill’s intent is to protect babies, period,”Rep. Weaver said in a statement. “The number of babies born addicted to drugs, it has not decreased. It has exponentially increased.”

 

On the other side of the argument, there are people who have spoken out against the law. Erika Lathon, who works as a public relations rep at a high profile recovery firm, believes it could actually do more harm than good. For one, she claims the bill’s funding would be better spent on public treatment programs. She also emphasized that jailed moms could lead to additional problems for the newborns, such as foster care. The fear factor among this group was also brought up.

 

“A pregnant woman who is battling an addiction is already facing a tremendous amount of stigma and has a number of problems to deal with,” Lathon told the press. “Then you add on top of that the possibility of her being prosecuted and thrown into jail, we believe that is going to push them further away, make the woman less likely to say, ‘Yes I have a problem, yes I’m addicted, yes I need help.’”

 

Obviously, we are talking about a tremendously difficult topic. But the truth of the matter is, pregnant addicted mothers is not as uncommon as people might think. If you or someone you are close to is caught up in this type of situation, please reach out for help immediately.